The Tale of Two Faults
by theimpossiblewhouffle
Summary: AU Clara is broken, worried, depressed and alone. Who finds her but Matt, a local Young adult with a regretful past. Clara gets to seek the life she's always wanted. Friends, a home, laughter, and love. Only she thinks love doesn't exist. Matt sure proves her wrong. (Some chapters inspired by songs, all leading up. Rated T for mentions of abuse, some cursing and, uh, 'it'.)
1. She Will be Loved

**A/N-** **HEY HO GUYS! Blerp okay author here with Chapter 1 of my BIGGEST STORY YET! Yey. Read now!**

There was a girl, sitting on the edge of a bridge in the rain. It was December 6, at eleven o' clock in Great Britain, on a Friday. Clara Oswald was her name, and she was thinking about something she never thought would happen. The river rushed below her feet, dangling from what could be brilliant and horrific. She couldn't keep doing this day after day. Her dad would come home late, either drunk or high. If she didn't do work, well, let's just say her dad had quick hands. Tonight, though, it had been a year since her mother and sister had died in a car accident, and her father wasn't taking it well. Blaming it all Clara, and, well, you know. She could end it all. Clara took one leg from under her and dangled it off of the bridge. There were stepping stones on the end where the kids would run down and play in the river. She climbed down from off of the bridge and sat on the highest rock. Where was she going to stay? Clara was only eighteen years old and not even in college. She had no future, not even in her own house. She was a fat, ugly, cow that no one liked. Never had a boyfriend or a best friend… Not even a mum. All her 'friends' were too afraid to go to her house. She was alone in life with no one to really support her. She was still trudging on from a horrible pre-teen to teenage hood. She let her head fall against the rock and she closed her eyes to think about where she was going and what to do next…

Across the bridge, there was a man with a sickening past. He was going for a walk to clear out his head. He was 20 years old, in college, with an apartment for one, living on his own, and his name was Matt. He lived with his mum growing up. She always said that his dad left them when he was born, and never came back. This lead onto knowing that since his dad WASN'T around, he needed more guy friends around him to fill the gap. And, no, he WAS NOT gay. His group of friends were the bad type of friends in his teenage years. They would always try to pick up girls, and shag them. Matt, of course, was in his rebellious stage. He's now in London, regretting everything he used to do. He was a man slut. Never had a steady girlfriend and never thought about what he was doing… He just wanted to be popular back then. But now he's helping people with their problems, a therapist. Well, Intern. Still, same thing. Matt was walking across the bridge when he saw Clara, sitting on that rock. He looked down at her,

"Are you…" He began, "A bit, I don't know, cold?"

Clara opened her eyes and looked to her top left, "Huh? Oh, uh, no thanks."

Matt walked down to the rock where she was sitting and spoke up again, "Are you sure? It's, uh, raining and it's cold and wet. Shouldn't you be home?"

Clara looked down and sighed, "No… I can't go home. I don't have one. I was kicked out."

"Hm," The Doctor looked at her, she seemed 18. "I was kicked out at your age too. On my birthday, really."

Clara nodded, "My names Clara by the way, social reject, Class A." She stuck her hand out.

Matt shook it, "Matt. High school douche, regretful freak."

Clara smiled, "You're not one anymore, right?"

Matt nodded, "But I AM a regretful freak."

"I guess we have some things in common, huh?" She replied, her smile growing bigger.

Her smile was so broken. It looked so sad, so lonely. Matt thought about when his mum kicked him out. He was only 18 and just graduated high school (hey just because you were a man slut doesn't mean you didn't get good grades). But he thought that she's not telling him something on why she's so sad. When he was kicked out, he looked for a college. He'd already applied to one and was accepted. But what about her? Where's she going to go?

"Matt? You in there?" Clara asked, waving her hand in front of his face.

"Huh? Oh, uh. Y-yeah I was just thinking." Matt replied with a sad grin.

"About what?"

"Just… About when I was kicked out."

"Where did you stay? Where did you go?"

"I stayed in a dorm. In college. Eventually I made enough money and I moved out."

Clara hopped off the rock and slipped. Matt put his arms out and caught her right before she could strike the ground.

"You know…" Matt began, "If you don't have anywhere to stay, you could always stay with me… I mean…"

Clara stopped him from talking, "Yes… Of course I'll stay with a stranger I've just met… But, it just seems like I can trust you. I bet I can trust just about anyone right now… After what 'he' did to me…"

"Clara?" Matt asked, suspiciously.

"Yes?" She replied.

"Can I ask you something?"

Clara nodded, "Yeah, what is it?"

"Did your…" He cleared his throat. "Did your dad… Hurt you?"

Clara sighed, "Every night."

Matt put Clara down, "Then of course you can stay with me. You ARE 18 right?"

Clara nodded, "About five months. And I know you're, like, 20 so it's legal."

Matt smiled, "Well come on then. It's just right two blocks down."

Clara and Matt started walking down the sidewalk. They were talking, and smiling, and laughing, and sighing. It was amazing how much chemistry they had. Clara would tell a story, and Matt would burst out laughing. It was beautiful. And so was Clara. _Bad. No. You aren't picking up your old tricks again. You do NOT like her you DON'T! _That was rule number one for him now. Don't fall in love, But now meeting this girl, Oh, how could he not fall in love? She was beautiful, smart, funny, kind, and most of all she understood him. And that smile, was like a movie star smile. Big, bright, and beautiful. He was falling in love for the first time since he was 17. She was so lonely. Clara would talk about what her dad would do, and she'd start crying. Matt couldn't bear to just stand there and watch her cry. He would let her walk in his grasp, protecting her from the world. There were some cons though. Matt kept thinking about her feelings for him. _She probably thinks I'm a weird scary person, but if she did, why is she allowing me to do this? _

Claras POV

This man, the one I just met, the one I trust and I don't know WHY I trust him, just asked me about my dad. My dad… I don't even want to talk about him. He was the worst thing after my mum died. He could be some man that would kidnap me but, honestly, I'm too vulnerable right now to even care. I have nowhere to go. I don't even remember what it was like to laugh and actually MEAN it. I don't remember ever having friends. And this man, Matt, he makes me feel beautiful. I've never felt beautiful, ever. Never since my mum died. Each and every second though, I fall for him. I'm not in love though, that's absurd. Love doesn't exist. I don't deserve someone as amazing as him. Worthless. How does he even put up with me? It seems like… He completely gets me. He told me that I'm funny, and that I tell the best stories. Do you know how that feels? To me? You can say that I shouldn't be walking home with Matt, but he's made me feel beautiful. Don't tell me how to live my life again. I'm young and stupid, what do you expect? But… I think this is the best decision I've ever made… My home…


	2. Home

**Authors note- Hello friends. This Chapters a cute one cx Only 907 words, sadly. I was gonna leave you guys guessing for two weeks, but I'm nicer than that c: I'm really happy with the reviews I got. Remember, No reviews, No story. I don't want to bug you guys with new chapters if you're not even gonna read them so. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter! Review~**

Home- Phillip Phillips (Still in Clara's POV.)

I sighed, "I thought that you said it wasn't that far away!"

Matt laughed, "I lied." He smiled

His smile. I can't even describe it. Every aspect of it is perfect. His ears, dimples, teeth just peaking through, his lips just the right shade of pink, everything about his face. I held onto his arm, and watched the cars roll down an unfamiliar road. One rushed right past us, a wave of dirty road water flew up and splashed us with so much force that I flew me off of my feet and hit the ground on my knees. We were soaked in water from head to toe. Matt walked over to me and helped me back to my feet. That smile he had on…

"You alright?" Matt asked helping me back to my feet.

"Uh, yeah. Thanks." I brushed my hands on my jeans, "I'm going to need some clothes when we get home- I mean, back to your apartment."

Matt's smile grew even wider, "It's okay if you want to call it home, you know. You're not alone either, Clara."

I loved it when he said my name, "Of course I'm not alone. If I felt alone, I think I would've told you. Wait, I already did."

"Shut up." He smirked and took my hand, "Last one to get home loses!" He started running, my hand still in his.

I love this man so much.

Matt's POV

Three hours. It had been three hours. One hour near the river, two hours walking home. I thought it would be a lot easier to convince her to let me help by saying it was around the corner. You have no idea what she's like. Funny, smart, sensitive, beautiful… No. I don't like her. I can't like her. It's physically impossible for me to ever love again. Ever. Ever. But the way her hair glistened in moon light, the smile she gave me, it just… felt right. You know? How can I ignore that?

Clara stopped running, panting for air, "How… Can... You… Run… That quick?!"

I flipped my hair back with his hand and took a deep breath, "I take track. I'm a running person. Oh come on, it cold and wet!"

"Yes, but I'm hot, wet, and tired. Oh, that was a word too many from your perfect sentence, wasn't it?"

My cheeks turned a bright rose, "I- you- why- Shut up! Clara, you don't know about when I was 16 and what I did, but honestly, that wasn't nice."

Clara's smile faded, "I-I'm… I'm sorry… Did I insult you? Should I leave? I should, shouldn't I? Well, It's been nice talking but If you really hate me THAT much I suppose I should leave…" She started to sniff really loudly.

I could tell she was faking it, but yet, I couldn't help to see her frown. Seeing Clara unhappy had now turned into a pet peeve of mine. And seeing her angry at me, her face red, throat hurting, eyes puffy from crying, and downright miserable had become a fear of mine. She really did feel bad about herself, and I can't make her feel worse.

I took Clara's hand in mine again, and sighed, "Clara…" I began, "Don't ever think that I would want you to leave, ever. You make me happy and I trust you, even though I probably shouldn't. It would be my pleasure to share a home. From what I've heard about you tonight, I can honestly say, that you are beautiful. And I never want you to change. Settle down with me, don't listen to the things that fill you with fear, the trouble might drag you down, but if you're ever lost just remember you'll always be found. Please, know you're not alone. Ever. I'm always going to be here with you…"

I noticed Clara's face. She was looking at me, her other hand was over her mouth, and I couldn't tell if she was about to cry or about to kiss me. A part of me hoped that she was going to kiss me, because that was the fowl high school-y person that was still left in me that I wish died in a burning pit and got beaten with a stick. Seriously why couldn't it have gone with the rest of it? Yet, I am a man and men think that way sometimes. Anyway, back to the subject.

She took her and off her mouth to reveal a big, bright, and beautiful smile. Her arms grabbed me by the neck as she pulled me into a tight hug. I could feel a tear slip off her cheek and onto my jumper. Clara buried her face into my shoulder pulling me closer to her. I took this opportunity to let my hand drop down to her waist. We were standing in front of my apartment complex now. But not yet going in.

She let go of me and smiled that beautiful smile, "You are the single most amazing human being I have ever laid eyes on." She grabbed a hold of my hand once more, "And I'm going to win."

Clara let go of my hand and ran up the stairs of the complex. Oh, she never forgot about the race. This woman is the smartest one I've met. Okay, a slight lie, but still.

I love this girl so much.


	3. Can't Stand It

**A/N- This Story. Is. So. Cute. This chapter is sooo cute cx. Please keep reviewing! And, here's a shoutout to a guest, who's very kind thank you whoever you are! c:**

Matt assumed that she found they key in the pot on the side of his door, and went inside. He shrugged and took out his key. Meanwhile, Clara had been hiding in the storage closet. She opened it up just enough to watch Matt come up the stairs and unlock the door.

"Let's watch, as the confused Matt looks in his natural habitat… She attacks!" Clara ran out of the closet and jumped on Matt's back.

Matt squealed and fell into his apartment and Clara burst into a fit of giggles. That one laugh…

"You squeal like a girl." Clara remarked, still laughing her lungs out.

"I-I- Shut up! And get off of me! I can't stand you…" Matt huffed.

Clara knew he didn't mean it. But still, she was hurt by it. Seeing him mad at her… Hating her… She couldn't bear even thinking about it. Of course, she had only known him for tonight, but still. If they met in a bar nobody would've judged them. Yet she couldn't get past the fact she was actually going to do this. She was going to stay in someone's home. Clara knew she had strong feelings for him already, but how could she admit that? She would come home one day and say, 'Hey Dad! This is a man I met while sitting in the rain crying on the side of the street and now I'm living with him!' He'd probably get so angry her and… Well… You know.

Clara just couldn't stand how incredibly handsome he was too. He was completely right for her. And she couldn't help it. She never wanted to let him go. She would trip on purpose; cling onto him, anything to get him close to her. He was so childish too, but in the best way. He was so cute. But she DIDN'T love him. As she said, love doesn't exist and it never will. Not even for someone as amazing as him…

"Clara?" Matt asked, "Are even hearing what I'm saying?"

Silence.

"C-Clara... You know I was joking, didn't you?"

He realized Clara was sensitive, and smiled faintly. He wasn't lying when he said he couldn't stand her. He couldn't stand how cute, funny, smart and broken she was. Heloved her. He really really did. The feeling of her hand in his, her hugs, oh he couldn't stand not telling her. But he had to, just to make sure that she didn't get hurt.

Or hurt herself, to be honest.

"Oi!" Clara and the Doctor turned from their thought, to see a red haired, Scottish woman standing at behind them.

"Matt, are you going back to being slut again?" A blonde woman said, slightly younger than the first.

Matt stared at them, "Why the hell would you bring that up?"

"Who's the new girl?" The Ginger asked.

"My name's Clara," Clara began, suddenly realizing she was still on top of him. She quickly got off of him and brushed her skirt down, smiling.

The blondie smirked, "Are you his new victim?"

Matt got up quickly and walked over to the girl. He looked at her, their faces only about 2 ½ inches apart and said in a hushed tone, "You are such an asshole."

Rose leaned back, "Love you too. Now you should really put your chin away, you cold poke someone's eye out." She turned to Clara and smiled, "Hi! My names Rose. I've known ol' chin boy here for as long as I can remember. He's like my brother."

Clara nodded hello as the other girl began to speak, "I'm Amy," she began, "And I always get made fun of by your boyfriend here."

"She's- we're not- we don't- Shut up!" The Doctor stuttered.

You have no idea how much Clara wanted to kiss him at that moment. She loved her little idiot. "My little idiot…" she accidently said out loud.

"Your little what?" Amy asked, her eyebrow raised, "Did you just call him your 'little idiot'?"

"I- N-No! Of course not! That'd be ridiculous!" Clara laughed an obvious fake laugh.

Rose smirked, "They have nicknames for each other! It's happening! Oh Matt, you're going at it again."

"Oh shut up!" He rolled his eyes and turned to Amy, "In high school, Rose was so slow. Couldn't keep up."

Clara put her hand over her mouth, "You had sex with her?"

Rose and Matt looked at each other and looked back at Clara, both of them smiling shyly. "Um…" Matt scratched the back of his head blushing slightly.

Amy laughed, "No way! Oh that's ridiculous! I thought you were better than that Rose!"

"What do you expect? A horny teenager mixed with a childhood friend. We must've experimented a couple times." Rose defended, Matt's face buried in his hands, his cheeks a hot pink.

Amy leaned to the side and whispered in Clara's ear, "I'm really surprised that you haven't stormed out of this place yet. Hearing him talking about his past affairs."

"Have you ever…?" Clara began to ask, but she was cut off by Matt.

"NO! NONONONONONO! NOOOOOOOOOO! NO WE WOULD NEVER I-I'M DONE WITH THE CONVERSATION COME ON CLARA!" He grabbed her hand and pulled her into the apartment, shutting the door behind her.

Clara's ear was against the door, and she could hear Rose saying, "I bet he'll fuck her twice as hard!" And Amy was laughing behind her as they were in their apartment. Roommates. She placed her forehead against the door and sighed. She was right. Love doesn't exist and it never will. She sniffed quietly, her eyes beginning to tear up. No no no… She can't be in love with someone who shagged someone in the complex. But… It doesn't mean she didn't WANT the thing Rose said to happen. Clara. The Loner. The 'Impossible to talk to or get along with' Girl. The one with the abusive dad. The one that's never had a boyfriend or a best friend. Ever. She wanted to make love, yes. But she wanted to be in love to do it. How could she explain that to him? Before she knew it, Clara was softly crying.

The Doctor was in the kitchen when he heard her. Clara had somehow managed to move to the window and stare out it, her forehead on the window and her breath fogging it up. The Doctor smiled faintly and walked over to her silently. He was taken off his shoes, and put on pajama pants and gave Clara a shirt that was too big for her. He grabbed a blanket from the couch, and walked up behind her. He wrapped his arms and the blanket around her and rested his chin on her head. Clara stopped crying and smiled, leaning in on Matt. Matt kissed the top of her head, gasping softly after doing so.

"Look," He said softly, "It's snowing."

Clara smiled and closed her eyes.

"Guess what?" Matt asked, still in a hushed tone.

"What?" She replied looking up at him.

"I just realized… I can't stand you. You're amazing, beautiful, smart, kind, caring, compassionate, and the sweetest more thoughtful girl ive ever met."

"R-Really?"

"And guess what?"

"What?"

"I just realized I was in love with you. And it feels fantastic."


	4. The River Flows in You

**A/N- Okay guys. This friggen chapter is so cute I swear to god the ending is so amazing I can't even yes.**

Clara turned around to look at him, but before she could say anything, a pair of lips was crushed against her own. She _loved _it. The way their lips blended together, the movement of them at the same pace, it was _groundbreaking. _Matt couldn't feel less. He hadn't kissed anyone in ages, and now kissing Clara, it felt like he'd never kissed anyone before. He was shy with it at first, not letting himself get into it, but then _oh. _Clara was up against the window, her arms wrapped around his neck, his hands gently at her waist. The blanket fell off of Clara and she held him tighter, not wanting to let him go.

Matt broke the kiss softly and smiled. "You have no idea how many times I've wanted to do that…"

Clara smiled and giggled, "I never thought you'd do that..."

"Was that okay…?"

"Well… I only met you tonight, I'm really fucking vulnerable right now, my dad would kill me, and honestly I do not care."

"I actually have a question…"

"What is it…?"

"Do you feel… Safe?"

Clara opened her mouth, but then closed it. DID she feel safe? Well… Honestly she could say no. But would she be telling the truth? She knows about this man, yes. But could she stay with him? Would he get aggravated with her? Maybe. He… He's amazing. Really, really amazing. She HAD no place to go. Home is never an option anymore. Was she really just using him? Using him for a place to stay? Did she love him? Or was this just a final resort. _He's… I know. I trust him. I do. But I never feel safe._

"I…" She began, "I trust you. But I never feel safe. Please don't take it personally. But also… I…"

"You…" He nodded, not understanding what she was saying.

She gulped. _Am I ready to tell him this? _ "I…" She said one more time. Suddenly, she pulled him into a tight hug and whispered in his ear, "I love you…"

Matt buried his face into Clara's shoulder and sighed, "You know…" He began, "You know how you said earlier that you liked making soufflés?"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Matt wiped flour off his face, "You were supposed to be TEACHING me how to make them! Not throw it at my face!"

Clara laughed as she was pounded with flour, "Oi! I thought you just said that I couldn't throw flour at you!"

Matt stuck his tongue out, "Revenge!"

"You're such a child!"

"W-Well you're too grown up!"

Clara ran up behind him and jumped on his back, "Piggyback ride!"

Matt stumbled over and grabbed onto her ankles, "You'll owe me for this!"

He ran around the apartment, stumbling over things. It was the next morning and they were trying to make a soufflé. They stayed up all night talking and lying in Matt's- Well, their bed. They literally just sat next to each other on the bed scrolling through their phones and shared funny pictures and started a conversation. Clara had promised Matt that she'd teach him how to make the PERFECT soufflé. Of course, things didn't exactly go as planned. They gave up after 'Add flour to the ingredients' and ended up just having a full on soufflé fight.

Matt ran into the bedroom and threw Clara on the bed backwards. She broke out laughing, lifting her legs up and holding her stomach. She managed to dry off the tank-top she'd been wearing the night before and tie the long shirt on her back. She had pajama pants on and her hair was in a ponytail. She looked adorable. Matt jumped back on the bed and turned his head so that he was looking at her. She turned her whole body to face him.

Matt smiled a bit, "You're adorable."

Clara smiled and hit him softly, "I'm not adorable. I'm sexy as hell."

Matt chuckled, "Sexy as hell it is." He cupped her cheek with his hand and rubbed his thumb over her cheek, "The soufflés burning."

Clara and Matt sprung out of bed and ran towards the door and into the kitchen. He was right, the soufflé WAS burning. Smoke was literally coming out of the oven. Matt threw her cooking mittens at her. Clara quickly put them on and took out the soufflé. She turned off the ovens and threw her mittens off.

"Alright!" She said a bit loudly, "Prime directive one is accomplished. Now… Number two."

She took his hand led him out of the kitchen, a slight hop in her step. She walked into the bedroom and looked around near the wall. Clara rubbed a certain part of the wall, and then pressed it. It opened up to a balcony, looking over the whole city. It was early morning, so of course, it was raining. It was beautiful. There was a small coffee table with two cushions on either sides of it; Clara had strung up Christmas lights on the fence that holds them away from the edge. Absolutely one of the many improvements she had done to him and his house. Matt pulled her into a tight hug. The last time he had decorated for Christmas was when he was 12. He never helped with any of the decorations any of the years. Soon, they stopped putting them up. He always forgot. And Clara doing this… It made him happy. Overly happy. Almost too happy. But that's always the feeling he gets when she's around. He brushed her hair slowly with his hand.

"You…" He began, "Are the most amazing person I've ever met. You know that?"

Clara nodded, "Of course I know that you dummy."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Matt pushed the table to the side after dinner, "You are an amazing cook. You know that?"

Clara giggled and reached out to hold his hand, "I got the feeling you'd like it."

After showing Matt their new hideout, Matt had suggested that he'd make dinner and they'd eat out there tonight. Clara had agreed to the idea almost instantly. She's always make food for herself. It was perfect.

Clara leaned against Matt and rested her head on his shoulder, "Matt?" She asked softly.

His arm was around her, rubbing her shoulder. "Yes?"

"You remember the other night when you kissed me?"

"Of course I do…"

"And you asked me if I feel safe?"

"Yes, I remember…"

"Well… I just wanted to tell you this. If I ever fall for anyone else, just remember this. I love you till the end and back. And I will never stop. Ever. "

Matt smiled and kissed the top of her head, "I will. And I'll tell you to remember."

Matt smiled and kissed her softly, "I can't lose you like I lost the others…"

"And you never, ever, will."


End file.
